Tracker-board.



H. K. SANDELL. TRACKER BOARD.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB.. 2, 1912.

1,036,152, Patented Aug.2o,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. K. SANDELL.

TRACKER BOARD.

APPLIOATIONTILBD Muna, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

COLUMNA PMNDGRAPH CLL.WASMxmirQNA n..

UNITED STATES 'PATENT oEEIoE.

HENRY K. SANDELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTYCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRACKER-BOARD.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

Application filed March 2, 1912. Serial No. 681,223.

' tering with lits'z ixpertures the electrical contact-strips onorperforations in a traveling music-sheet.`

The traveling music-sheet, ofl paper, is susceptible to conditions towhich it is exposed,"tending to expand or shrink it in width and therebyimpair the properly-accurate registrations of its perforations, or theelectrical contact-strips provided on it, with the apertures of thetracker-board.

` The primary'object of my invention is to shows my improved provide aconstruction of tracker-board device whereby such impairment may bereadily and accurately rectified.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 evice by a view in frontelevation, but with the apertures in exaggerated size to facilitateillustrating and explaining the invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of alongitudinally-reciprocable bar forming a member of the structure; Fig.3 is a similar view of a divided sheetguiding bar spring-connected atits inner ends and forming another member of the structure; Fig. 4 is asimilar view of a longitudinally recessed frame carrying the othermembers; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5, Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an enlargedbroken View in perspective of one of the two similar head-portions ofthe recessed bar shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a similar view of anendportion of the reciprocable bar of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a similar viewof the sheet-guiding bar of Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a similar view showing theapertured bar, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged section on line 10, Fig. 5.

The music sheet 11 is shown in Fig. 10 as it works in the electricalself-playing violin of my Patent No. 807,871, dated December 19, 1905,by traveling across a suitable guide .between a metal contact-roller 12forming one terminal in an electric circuit, and contact-fingers orbrushes 13, also forming terminals in said circuit; whereby each time acontact is made through a perforation in the sheet by a brush with theroller, an electromagnet isV energized for playing the violin.

The guide for the music-sheet, in the present connection, is part of 'myimproved tracker-board construction, descrlbed as follows: A frame 14consistsof `a bar A15 terminatingvat each end in a headl having arectangular recess 17 in itsouter'face, with an offset-portion 18between its ends at'one side of the recess,'and bearing-holes'lQ, 19 atthe opposite vside thereof A:Perforated ears' 20, 2O projectfromthe-front side of each head 16 to adord means by which to suitably'fasten the frame'in place on any self-playing instrument with which -itmay be used.' The barv 15 contains in its front side a longitudinalrectangular recess 21, and at the ends of the latter transverse recesses22,22. A divided bar 23 has its inner opposing ends, which areoppositely beveled to` render the space between them wedgeshaped, asshown in Fig. 3, connected by a coiled spring 24 fastened atits ends tostuds 25, 25 riveted to the bar-sections at opposite sides of said spaceand projecting through elongated openings 26 in the bar 15; and eachsection of this divided bar terminates at its outer end in asheet-guiding head 27 of L-shape in cross-section, from the outer faceof which, near its opposite ends, project studs 2S entering the holes 19when the bar 23 occupies the recess 21, in which it fits and itssections are longitudinally movable, and the heads 27 occupy therelatively-wider recesses 22. A rectangular bar 29 is reciprocablyconfined at its end-portions, which contain correspondingly inclinedslots 30, 30, in the odset-sections 18 of the recesses 17 to extendalong the back of the frame-bar 15; and the bar 29 contains anapproximately central longitudinal recess 31 to clear the studs 25,passing through it, and accommodate the spring 24. This spring ismaintained in the rearwardly-bowed condition represented in Fig. 5 by arounded button 32 riveted in the base of the bar-recess 21 to projectagainst the spring and cause its tensile-force to tend to hug the bar 23against the base of the recess 21.

The tracker-board comprises a rectangular bar 33 having posts 34 rigidlysecured to its ends and slidingly fitting in the headrecesses 17, eachpost having a rearwardlyprojecting stud 35 entering an inclined or 110thread of a; rigidscrew-stem, 38 projecting from theouter facev of4 theadjacent frameheadA 16.

rPhe gist of: my inventionlies in the series of oblique'slot-likeapertures 39 provided in thebar 33.. Thesev slots incline atprogressively-increasing angles from the center of the. series to theopposite ends thereof, the

directionof inclination on one side of said. `center being. oppositethat on` the other side.

Itisthroughthese slotsthat the instrument is.play,edi byregistrationwith them of the proper; perifonations` in aA music-sheettraversinggthem,` the. playing. being produced.

Y pneumatically, electricallyor otherwise. In

.tion of its perforations with the presentrepresentation, a brush isshown projecting through'each aperture 39, so that when ay music-sheetperforation. registers with any. ,brush the latter willV cont-actthroughi it with. they roller l2 to` close the circuity and. play.- theviolin. In the event of the music-sheet shrinking or expanding inthey-direction transversely of its length, impairment. of thepredetermined registrathe flexible brushes or the like in the slots 39will, obviously, result.V To correct this defect, slight movementi ofthe bar 33 up or down along the path of the music-sheet, depending. onwhether the sheet has shrunk or eX- panded, is all that isnecessaryr tobring the brushes-closer together or spread them farther apart by thecam-action against them of thezinclined slots 39. To accomplish thisresult the nut-36.- is turned in the proper direction toslide the bar 29and move its slots 30 across the studs 35, whereby they shift thetracker-bar 33. At the same time a tongue 40 onv the tracker-bar, whichhas a wedge-shaped end (Fig. l) working in the space between thebar-sections 23, is retracted slightly to permit the spring. :24 to drawthose sections closer together, or slightly ad` vanced to spread themfarther apart, the arrangementA of the members of the device being'suchlthat in` either instance the sheetguiding heads 27 will be adjusted toeonforml to the changed' width of. the music` sheet..

As will be understood, the number of apertures 39 for the use of thetrackerboard, topro-vide one brushl or thelike for each'. key= ortone ofthe instrument to be played would exceed thoseshown in F ig. l and bemuchnarrower andl also shorter. The actual tracker-board, which is nowin practical use on an electric sheet-perforating machine, has onehundred and twentythree of these apertures, with the central one inperpendicular line with a center 'struck at any elevated point, and withthose numbering sixty-one at each side of that one radiated from thatcenter to progressively increase their angles of inclination in themanner hereinbefore mentioned. As will also be understood, such increasein., the angle of inclination is required torender uniform across themusic-sheet the,adj,ust ment relative to its perfor-ations, since theshrinkage of' the perforations increases, with that of the sheet,progressively toward the longitudinal center thereofl and theirexpansion similarly increases outwardly from that center. i

I realize that considerable variation ispossible in the detailsof'fconstructionfthus specifically shown anddescribed, and. 'I do notintend by illustrating a single, specific, or preferred form. to: limitvmy invention thereto; my. intention being in the following. claims toclaimprotection upon all the novelty there may7 be in the device as'broadly as the state of the art will permit.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In atracker-board device, the combi-- nation of a bar extending acrossthe-path for a traveling music-sheet and bodily-movable lengthwisethereof, brushes to register with the sheet-perforations fory playingtherethrough a musical instrument, and means on said bar for adjusting,by adjusting the bar, the registration. of the brushes with saidperforations under variation in the width of the music-sheet byshrinkage or expansion. j

In a tracker-board device, a trackerbar extending across the path for atraveling music-sheet and adjustable lengthwise thereof, said bar havingaA longitudinal series of apertures inclining at progressivelyincreasingangles toward. the ends of theseries from the center thereof and inrelatively opposite directions at opposite sides of said center.

3. In atracker-board device, the combination of an adjustable guide fora traveling'music-sheet at opposite sides-of the path therefor, a barextending across said path and adjustable lengthwise thereof, said barhaving a longitudinal series of aperturesextending from the center ofthe series toward its ends inclined in relatively-opposite directions atopposite sides of said center and at progressively-increasing, angles,and means for adjustingsaid guide and bar relative to variations in thewidth of the4 music-sheet.

4. In a tracker-board device, the combination of an. adjustable guidefor a travel'- ing music-sheet extending at the opposite sides of thepath therefor, a bar extending across said path and adjustablelengthwise thereof, said bar having a longitudinal series of slot-likeapertures extending from the center of the series toward its endsinclined in relatively-opposite directions at opposite sides of saidcenter and at progressively-increasing angles, and means forsimultaneously and correspondingly adjusting said guide and bar relativeto variations in the widths of the music-slieet perforations bytransverse shrinkage or expansion of said sheet.

5. In a tracker-board device, the combination of a frame, a guide for atraveling music-sheet, having side-members adjustable toward and fromone another relative to the path of said sheet, a bar extending acrosssaid path and adjustable lengthwise thereof, said bar having alongitudinal series of apertures extending from the center of the seriestoward its ends inclined in relatively-opposite directions at oppositesides of said center and at progressivelyincreasing angles, and means.for adjusting said side-members and bar relative to variations in thewidth, by shrinkage or expansion, of the music-sheet.

6. In a tracker-board device, the combination of a frame having alongitudinal recess, a guide for a traveling music-sheet comprising abar formed of sections movably confined in said recess andspring-connected end-to-end, with oppositely beveled inner ends forminga wedge-shaped space between them, and sheet-guiding heads on theirouter ends movably confined in the frame, a bar extending across themusicsheet path and adjustable lengthwise thereof, and having alongitudinal series of apertures extending from the center of the seriestoward its ends inclined in relativelyopposite directions at oppositesides of said center and at progressively-increasing angles, a wedgingtongue projecting from the apertured bar into said space, and means formovin the guiding-heads to siinultaneously adjust them and saidapertured bar relative to the music-sheet, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a tracker-board device, the combination of a frame, an adjustableguide on the frame for the ed es of a traveling musicsheet, a barlongitu inally movable on the frame and provided with inclined slots inits end-portions, a bar adjustably supported on the frame and havingend-posts provided with studs entering said slots, said last-named barextending across the musicsheet path and having a longitudinal series ofapertures extending from the center of the series toward its endsinclined in relatively-opposite directions at opposite sides of saidcenter and at progressively-increas in angles, and means for movin saidslotte bar to adjust said aperture bar relative to variations in thewidth of the musicsheet.

8. In a tracker-board device, the combination of a frame comprisin a barhaving a longitudinal recess in its ace, end-heads forming recesses atthe ends of said longitudinal recess crossing the latter, and havirgrecesses in their outer faces containing o set-sections between theirends, a musicsheet guide formed of a pair of bar-sections movablyconfined in said longitudinal recess and having guiding-heads on theirouter ends movably confined in said crossing recesses, the inner ends ofsaid bar sections being oppositely beveled, to form a wedge-like space,and spring-connected, a slide-bar having inclined slots in itsend-portions, supported thereat in said offset-sections to extend alongthe inner face of said frame-bar and having a nut-confinin slot near oneend, a tracker-bar having en -posts in said framehead recesses andprovided with studs confined in said inclined slots to support thetracker-bar to extend along said frame-bar, said tracker-bar having aseries of apertures extending from the center of the series toward itsends inclined in relatively-opposite directions at opposite sides ofsaid center and at progressively-increasing angles, a wedging tongueprojecting from the tracker-bar into said s ace, a threaded stemextending from the rame, and a nut on said stem projecting into saidnut-confining slot, for the purpose set forth.

HENRY K. SANDELL.

L. HEisLAR, R. SCHAEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

